Fitness Devices 2017: How and Why You Should Use Them

Fitness devices have dominated the health and technology market for some time now, with more and more people tracking everything from their daily steps to their sleeping patterns.

These devices have encouraged a whole generation to move more, resulting in all-around healthier individuals who are actively aware of their fitness capabilities.

There are many versions of the fitness trackers, from Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone, and Misfit, each offering different features to suit your personal needs.

If you're planning on joining the wearable technology craze, it might be a somewhat daunting task to find the right one â€“ that's why we've put together a list of devices and their features. But first, let's recap why it's smart to use fitness devices in the first place.

Personalized Goals

Whether you're a seasoned runner or just aiming to get your 10k steps in a day, a fitness tracker allows you to set, track, and eventually meet your goals.

Unknowingly Pushes You

A fitness tracker tracks your goals and progress psychologically without you even knowing it, motivating you to take those extra few steps, work out a little longer, and reach your personal best.

Social Accountability

Many fitness devices' apps offer a social function where you can participate in daily or even weekly challenges. Seeing others move may encourage you to get off the couch yourself. The social aspect is not only motivating, but also makes exercise fun and exciting where you can take part in friendly challenges with your loved ones.

Change Habits for the Better

Many people who own a fitness device can testify to the value of making small changes in your personal life to reach your goals faster. These may include taking the stairs instead of using the office lift, parking farther away from the store entrance, and taking more frequent bathroom breaks. All of these will get your heart pumping faster, which is great for your overall health.

Sleep Better

Not only will you sleep better because your fitness device gets you to be more active, but you'll be able to monitor and improve your sleeping patterns. Many fitness devices track your sleeping patterns by telling you how many times you were restless, how many times you woke up during the night, and the total amount of hours you slept. By keeping track of this information you'll be able to make small adjustments to your life like going to bed earlier, drinking less fluids before turning in, or allowing yourself to sleep later in the morning to ensure that you get a better night's rest.

A Variety of Options

With so many fitness trackers available on the market today, you'll easily find a tracker with the functions that'll suit your needs best. Added functions vary between heart monitors, sleep trackers, step trackers, and even GPS functions.

Now that we know why fitness trackers are beneficial to our health, let's take a look at some of the bestsellers and what they have to offer.

Fitbit Charge 2

The Fitbit Charge 2 has been described as the best fitness tracker on the market. It offers features like a heart monitor, sleep tracking, step counting, Bluetooth syncing, and breathing training. All these features come together with a very easy-to-use application in a device with a battery life that lasts up to five days.

If general well-being is what you're looking to improve, the Fitbit Charge 2 is a great choice.

Jawbone UP3

The Jawbone UP3 has been revered for its sleep tracking capabilities. The fitness device offers in-depth sleep tracking by monitoring a user's respiration rate and body temperature and can track your REM-, light-, and deep-sleep statistics.

The Jawbone UP3 also includes a heart monitor and a step counter.

Garmin Vivoactive HR

What makes the Garmin Vivoactive HR stand out is its GPS tracking system that can accurately track running, cycling, swimming, and even golf with live pace and distances.

This device is for the athlete determined to get accurate stats to improve skill, endurance, and abilities. The Garmin Vivoactive HR also includes a heart rate monitor and can send you notifications that will keep you in the know about your progress.

Misfit Shine 2

The Misfit Shine 2 offers a wide variety of tracking. The device has the ability to track activities like running, cycling, swimming, tennis, soccer, and basketball in addition to its sleep and step tracker. What makes the device stand out is that it suggests where on your body to wear the device when you're doing different exercises. For example, the app will suggest that you put the device in your shoe when cycling for a more accurate report.

Now that you know more about fitness devices and how they can benefit your life, gain an even bigger perspective on the successes of wearable tech with some facts about these devices, which includes things like smartwatches and Google Glasses as well.

Facts and Stats on Wearable Devices

â€“ The wearable device market passed the $1.9 billion mark in 2015 and is expected to surpass the $6.8 billion point by 2017.

â€“ Over 50 million wearable devices were shipped in 2015 and more than 125 million are expected to be shipped in 2019.

â€“ It's been reported that employees who make use of a wearable device had an increase of 8.5% in their productivity.

â€“ Google Glasses, a form of wearable device, is predicted to sell more than 21 million units in 2018.

â€“ One in six consumers own and use a wearable device.

â€“ Almost 50% of people who opt for a wearable device are between the ages of 18 and 34.

â€“ It's estimated that over 50 billion Internet-connected devices will exist across the globe by 2020.

This guest post on fitness devices has been brought to us by Ryno Ellis, content coordinator for South Africa-based company GetSavvi Health Insurance. He regularly writes about health and lifestyle topics and manages GetSavvi Health's social media pages. A journalism graduate from the University of Pretoria, he worked as a hard news journalist before making his way to marketing. He loves his two beautiful Labradors, and when he is not walking them on the beach, he's probably trying to follow his own health and lifestyle advice by trading in the take-aways for a healthy, home-cooked meal.